Gilbert Roller Fund 2013 Awardees

The Parapsychological Association furthers the scientific study of parapsychological phenomena by supporting the research of multi-disciplinary investigators around the globe.

This year’s Gilbert Roller Fund grants will support the continuing investigation of the Felix Experimental Group and the potential application of digital imaging to investigate physical mediumistic phenomena.

The 2013 Parapsychological Association (PA) grants competitions have come to a close, and two grant proposals supporting research on macroscopic psychokinetic phenomena have been awarded. The Gilbert Roller Fund will be supporting research that continues the investigation of the Felix Experimental Group and assesses the application of digital imaging to investigate mediumistic psychokinetic phenomena. Each research initiative will explore areas that have far-reaching implications for furthering the science of parapsychology and understanding the nature of consciousness.

Stephen Braude (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and Former Chair of the Department at the University of Maryland Baltimore County) will continue research on the apparent manifestation of anomalous physical phenomena in the Felix Experimental Group. The phenomena are principally attributed to Kai Muegge, a medium in the group. Previous trips to sit-in with the group have produced video footage of anomalous events, as well as observations of various physical phenomena such as moving lights and moving target objects. The Gilbert Roller grant will enable Dr. Braude to return to Europe and sit with the Felix Group again to investigate Kai’s mediumship under tightly controlled conditions.

Mark Boccuzzi (Co-Founder, Windbridge Institute) will explore the potential application of digital infrared thermographic imaging in the investigation of macroscopic psychokinetic phenomena during field investigations of physical mediumship. In previous research of this type the medium’s need for near-complete darkness has been a previous point of criticism. The use of new passive low-lighting technology may aid in the documentation of apparently anomalous events in sittings with physical mediums and thereby produce visible images for continued study. Boccuzzi will use the new tech in ongoing investigations of table-tipping and other physical phenomena that have been reported to in the presence of a Windbridge Certified Research Medium (WCRM).

Funding for these grants was made possible through a generous donation from Mrs. Marion Roller. The Gilbert Roller Fund supports scientific field investigations into macroscopic psychokinetic phenomena such as those reported in sitter-groups, séances, and poltergeist activity, and/or theoretical approaches to help explain the nature of such large-scale effects, and is administered by the Board of the Parapsychological Association. Donations to support the Gilbert Roller Fund can be made by contacting Executive Director Annalisa Ventola at business@parapsych.org.

The Parapsychological Association is an international professional organization of scientists and scholars engaged in the study of psi (or 'psychic') experiences, such as telepathy, clairvoyance, psychokinesis, psychic healing, and precognition. The primary objective of the PA is to achieve a scientific understanding of these experiences.

First established in 1957, the PA has been an affiliated organization of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) since 1969. The PA is a non-profit, non-adjudicating organization that endorses no ideologies or beliefs other than the value of rigorous scientific and scholarly inquiry.